So said Georell Bracelin, founder of Bend’s GB2 Marketing agency, during a conversation we had a few weeks ago about the importance of authenticity in content marketing.

Like me, Georell is a former journalist, having studied journalism at the University of Montana before moving from journalism into marketing, where the content creation, writing and narrative skills she honed as a journalist made her ideally suited to become a brand storyteller.

The idea that erstwhile journalists make the best content marketers is not new. In fact, it’s so obvious and makes so much sense, it’s recently been expounded upon by virtually every marketing and content marketing expert and evangelist. And here’s the thing; The reason that the “journalists make the best content marketers” story has been so pervasive is…it’s true.

Here are a few reasons why:

Trained Storytellers

Journalists are trained storytellers. We’ve been schooled in the art of crafting a narrative and making sure our audience is well aware of key messages and relevant facts. After all, a journalist’s stock-in-trade has always been creating content, ever since the profession first appeared. So it’s not just that journalists can weave a good yarn. It’s that we can weave a good yarn that memorably communicates the message we want to share.

If you want to make sure your audience understands and absorbs your key messages, have a trained journalist tell your story.

Skilled Writers

“Journalism is literature in a hurry.” — Matthew Arnold, poet

Most journalists get their start hammering away on an ancient PC in a shabby little newsroom, pounding out articles for small-town newspapers. It might not be the most glamorous way to begin a career, but when you have to report, research, write and edit at least one article a day, you quickly become an expert in crafting a story, polishing it to AP-Style perfection and publishing it as quickly as possible. On the newsroom floor, there’s no time for delay and no room for error. Because of this, trained journalists produce high-quality work quickly and efficiently.

If you’re working on a deadline or committed to publishing engaging, beautiful content on specific dates marked on your editorial calendar, make sure you have a journalist on your team.

Committed to Authenticity (aka, The Truth)

“Journalism is an act of faith in the future.” – Ann Curry, photojournalist

“Authenticity” is all the rage in content marketing right now. But what does “authenticity” even mean?

If you consult any thesaurus, the first word that appears next to “authentic” is “true”. From the first day of our education, journalists are trained that when we craft stories, nothing is more important than telling the truth. And most of us stand by that ideal.

Trust is crucial when it comes to content marketing. For that matter, earning and maintaining your customers’ trust is crucial to the success of any organization. If your customers don’t trust you, they won’t patronize you. And the best way to gain that trust? It’s simple: Tell the truth.

The audience for you content is smart and savvy. Your customers know an exaggeration or *gulp* lie when they see one. Journalists are committed to telling the truth. So much so, in fact, our skin crawls when we’re asked to embellish or deceive our audience.

If you want to sustain your customers’ trust, stay authentic and commit to telling the truth. For journalists, telling the truth is in our blood. And if you want to produce authentic content, working with a journalist is the best way to make sure it happens.

Tell ‘em What You Told ‘em

Journalists know how to tell a story, craft it well and quickly, and make sure it’s true. If you want to commit to creating engaging, beautiful and authentic content, your best bet is to work with a journalist.